The Hybrids
by crazy james
Summary: When the Kyuubi attacked, many orphans from the attack were kidnapped and experimented upon by Orochimaru. Of nearly sixty babies, only six stayed alive long enough to escape. This is their story.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue.**

A snake-like man entered a lab lined with cages of different sizes. He was pale, with yellow eyes and dressed in pure white.

The man grabbed a notebook and a pen and started writing.

_**October 11**_

_**Yesterday the Kyuubi attacked, I don't how he escaped or why, but it is only beneficial for my experiments.**_

_**Namikaze-teme and Uzumaki-chan used their babies to seal a half of it in each, I believe the physical part is in the coy and the spiritual in the girl. I can only assume that they hoped that the spiritual half would give the girl more intelligence and the physical more force to the kid.**_

_**I also manage to…ah…acquire another fifty orphans from the hospital; I'm sure they'll just assume they died because of the corrosive chakra of the Bijuu.**_

The man put the notebook down and smirked, walking out of the room as some of the kids started to cry

* * *

The pale man put a needle down on a table, the sound of whimpers invaded the room.

_**November first**_

_**The experiments have started; I've injected the brats with different kinds of DNA from animals.**_

_**If I had to guess I would say that the Kyuubi brats are the only ones that are going to survive, which is why I injected DNA from a radically different species, I don't remember which only that it is avian in nature.**_

_**I divided the fifty brats in groups; mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and water dwellers.**_

_**Time will tell if my bets are spot-on, I can't wait for results to start showing.**_

Again, the man put the note back and went out the room.

* * *

_**December 12**_

_**Brats are dying left and right, only seven show no sign of illness, the rest are probably going to die before the year ends.**_

_**The specimens that show no infliction what-so-ever are as follows: Bear, Jackal, Gecko, Wolf, Shark, Owl and Hawk. The last two are, unsurprisingly, the Kyuubi brats. My guess is that the Uzumaki vitality they got from Kushina, coupled with the regenerative powers the Kyuubi grants them is what has kept them alive and well since now, even though they are only two months old.**_

_**I will investigate the parentage of some of the other six orphans, who for some strange reason are female. I wonder, why are only females, apart from the Kyuubi boy and the shark, are surviving? I shall investigate.**_

* * *

_**February 20**_

_**I have made progress in the cursed seal, even if the fatalities are still 9 in 10, but I'm sure that eventually the death rate will go down enough that I can use it on an Uchiha, their eyes will make my goal easier.**_

_**The hybrid experiments are getting better, even though specimen shark died because he lacked water. The brat developed gills, his lungs were replaced by them, air was no longer breathable for it, so it died because of it.**_

_**Likewise, other subjects have developed some traits of the animals that were injected into them: Both Kyuubi brats have grown the roots of…wings on their back; Bear has more mass now, she has grown taller and stronger; Jackal and Wolf have pointer noses and sharper eyes, Gecko managed to cling to the floor of her cage when I tried taking her.**_

_**I'll have Amachi run more tests on them, see if they have any other…interesting developments that aren't visible.**_

* * *

_**March 31**_

_**The results from Amachi have arrived; All subjects have developed some of the most prominent features of the animals they were injected DNA from: Jackal and wolf have more stamina and better senses overall; Gecko has developed the same things that make her namesake able to climb surfaces, though she has cold blood and probably wouldn't survive on the colder countries; Bear has more muscle and a better sense of smell, if trained, the girl could be as destructive as my teammate.**_

_**Hawk and Owl are the most impressive, the most changed; their eyes are as sharp as their namesake's, they have grown wings, their muscles are tighter, their bones denser and hollow, their lungs are bigger and the spleen has been replaced with an air bag.**_

_**Watching them develop will be…interesting.**_

* * *

_**September 15**_

_**The cursed seal is ready for testing, I'll try it on my subordinates, though I wouldn't be surprised if only one of the fifty **_**volunteers**_** survives, the death rate is still large, after all.**_

_**The Hybrid experiment is more interesting that what I thought it would be, the brats have developed nicely; they are walking already.**_

_**I will start doing physical tests on them as soon as they can walk on their own. Shouldn't be long now, they have started to crawl some weeks ago, I believe they shall be walking by the end of this winter.**_

* * *

_**December 13**_

_**I suppose that the superstitions about 'Friday the 13**__**th**__**' have some bases on reality.**_

_**My sensei has noticed that, while I do the missions expected for a ninja of my caliber, my speed doing them has diminished and that I have started taking some of those BLASTED D-ranks.**_

_**I don't think he knows about my experiments, after all I DO keep a façade of a scientist looking for human improvement, he thinks that all I do is try to find ways of reducing the fatality rate in this job**_

_**HAH, as if I care about this damn village, they can rot in HELL for all I care.**_

_**I also got a letter from one of my doctors; none of the subjects survived the cursed seal appliance.**_

_**The only positive of this day was that I saw my pervert of a teammate get beaten by the kunoichi he peeped on.**_

* * *

_**New Year's Day**_

_**The brats have started speaking; mangled words, but words nonetheless.**_

_**They have been using the bars of their cages to stand. Walking and standing on their own is a few weeks away, as I predicted.**_

_**Every time I enter their room to check on them, I feel their eyes on me. They probably wonder who the bad man that keeps them caged is, where their mothers are or why they haven't felt the sunlight yet.**_

_**The physical tests will start as soon as the brats reach their second year.**_

_**I look forward to that day.**_

* * *

_**January 22**_

_**Sensei has gotten insistent with his thoughts of there being something wrong with me; he told me that I haven't been myself lately.**_

_**I told him that I had some flashbacks to the Second and Third Ninja Wars during a mission assigned to me to clear a bandit camp. The manslaughter bringing back memories of those times.**_

_**Both of my focuses have improved beyond expectations, the cursed seal now kills eight of ten in less time that I expected; I have hopes that by this summer the surviving expectations will go up to fifty-fifty.**_

_**The hybrids have proved that they have more intelligence than the average human.**_

_**I have seen that one of my doctors has taken a shine to the brats, if Karasu proves his loyalty I may leave the reports to him.**_

* * *

_**July first**_

_**I have discovered why only girls, apart from Kyuubi boy, survived the injections, Shark too, but since he died it isn't very important.**_

_**The reason most test subjects died was because of the two kinds of DNA trying to take over the body, trying to remain dominant.**_

_**Three of the remaining subjects were injected with MAMMAL DNA, which was why they had most chances of survival. The males that were injected DNA from the same group died because ALL the injections were from female animals, the chromosomes tried to fight for dominance, the immune system ended up killing them in the battle to determine their sex when it was already there.**_

_**Further tests revealed that the brats all had some kind of better, more intelligent, responses to invaders inside the body: The white cells recognized, at some level or another, that integrating the genes from the animals would be beneficial to the survival.**_

_**It is likely that some traits will be passed down to their spawn, should they have any.**_

* * *

_**August third**_

_**Karasu has proved that he won't betray me.**_

_**This is the last entry that will be posted under the name Orochimaru.**_

_**The last thing to report is that the brats have already learned how to speak with words that would make another brat twice their age confused.**_

_**I look forward to see what they learn to do under Karasu.**_

* * *

**August 10**

**The kids think I am trustworthy. It is somehow relaxing to know that they trust me, even if I AM one of their captors.**

**I have learned that the kids all look up to Hawk for some reason. Personally I think it's because they haven't seen him cry one time since I discovered that they were here.**

**Hawk is without a doubt the most mature out of the six, though he is still a kid.**

**I can see it in his eyes, the sadness and despair. I once snuck during the night, a few minutes after the cameras saw everyone but Hawk asleep: the kid cried enough to fill a flask.**

**I will be teaching them to read and write soon. They are my charges, even if they aren't MY kids, I'll treat them as such.**

* * *

**October 10**

**Hawk and Owl are three years old already. I still don't understand HOW the youngest of the six is the leader. I expected Gecko to be it, since she is the eldest, but she is too shy.**

**They are making progress on their reading, I'll give them a book on names soon, so that I don't have to call them by the names Orochimaru-sama gave them.**

* * *

**December 25**

**The kids decided that their Christmas present would be their names, hence I will no longer be calling them by their hybrid names.**

**Gecko has decided on Megumi, Bear on Akira, Wolf on Atsuko, Jackal on Ayane, Owl on Katsumi and Hawk on Arashi.**

**They chose them, they'll wield them with pride when they scape.**

* * *

**June 15**

**Orochimaru-sama has been getting more and more paranoid as the days pass.**

**I fear he will snap soon and leave before the kids are ready for the world. Hopefully it won't come to that**

* * *

**September 30**

**I've been working on expanding the Hybrid Place, as the kids have started to call their room**

**Progress with it is slow since Doton is my secondary affinity and not my primary one**

**The Hybrids have started to learn the uses of their…curse, blessing, affliction? I don't know how to call it.**

**Progress is slow on Megumi, Arashi and Katsumi since they have to control more things than Ayane Atsuko and Akira, the latter three only have to work on passive attributes rather than active.**

**Orochimaru is pushing me to test things like their vision and strength, possitive thing is that I'll do it on my terms.**

* * *

**October 23**

**Today I made the first real test on the kids: a maze.**

**One of the doton specialists on the base was kind enough to transform the biggest room on a labyrinth for six people.**

**The point was to find out if their instincts and senses were better than the average human or equal to them.**

**Akira showed that her strength was as good a defense as it was an offense: one of the traps on the maze activated and she blocked it, destroying the log that sprung up, though I'm pretty sure that it left a bruise.**

**Megumi used her ability to climb on things to find the exit, pretty clever of her really, even if it took her an hour to think of it.**

**Ayane and Atsuko both used their enhanced sense of smell, not really noticing but doing it nonetheless, to find the exit. They triggered many traps, but dodged all but two of them. I think they got some pleasure on rolling on the mud pit.**

**Arashi and Katsumi were the most interesting to watch. The two of them stuck together through it all, pulling each other out of danger and getting Akira and Atsuko out of the net they got captured in. They didn't notice anything strange, but I did: Their wings would unfold and flap every time they jumped back, as if their legs couldn't find strength, much like Megumi doesn't realize that her climbing abilities are always at the ready.**

**I'll continue to look for things like that.**

* * *

**January 20**

**I've been testing the kids bi-weekly since last October, and the results ALWAYS vary.**

**Sometimes Akira, the tomboy of the…pack, group? (I honestly can't name it) is as gentle as can be and others she can't stop destroying things. Ayane and Atsuko are sometimes serious and sometime playful as can be. Then there's Katsumi who normally doesn't have a bad bone on her body and then she is smashing your skull in for being rude.**

**Arashi though is never the same person: he doesn't know it, but he has three different personalities; The rash and reckless that shows when the test is for motor abilities, the thoughtful and charismatic that shows on group tests, like the first maze, and the calm and caring he displays when in the Hybrid Place.**

**I've known Arashi for a year and a half, I still DON'T know how he really is.**

**I need to talk with the boy.**

* * *

**December 26**

**The kids are now in full control of themselves two and a half years after I started working with them. Time flies.**

**I've made much with them since the last entry six months ago.**

**I started training them in the ninja arts on July; Ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, iryojutsu and Fuinjutsu.**

**Akira, for some reason, took to both gen and taijutsu, the secong one not much of a surprise.**

**Ayane and Atsuko went for nin-taijutsu of different kinds; Ayane went for the 'fast and furious' approach while Astuko went for the 'outlast the opponent' one.**

**Megumi took to genjutsu like fish to the water and only tried Iryo-jutsu at my insistence.**

**Both Katsumi and Arashi started on fuiinjutsu, with Katsumi going to genjutsu and taijutsu and Arashi for ninjutsu and kenjutsu.**

**They are going to be a powerful team one day**

**Hope I'm still alive when that happens.**

* * *

**Three ****years ****later**

**June 12**

**Orochimaru will be leaving, escaping from the Hokage.**

**Listen kids, I won't be leaving with you, I doubt I'll be able to leave the installation alive, therefore I'll be sealing in the next page everything I can, from common knowledge to fuinjutsu to whatever Orochimaru knows about you.**

**You know who you are, don't lose yourselves, don't look to the past and NEVE, EVER regret what you've done.**

**Please, remember that I loved you**


	2. The escape

**The escape**

***Outskirts of Konoha*June 13***

In an underground Six kids, no older than eight, were sitting around a worn notebook that had had multiple additions.

"What should we do?" asked one of them, one of the five girls. She was slightly chubby, with dark brown hair and dark green eyes, she was Akira, the Bear of the Hybrid Hybrid Pack

"What do you think?" another girl snapped at Akira, "Karasu-sensei told us to escape, that's what we'll do" this girl had raven-black hair and amber eyes, she also was the smallest of the six kids. She was Atsuko, the Wolf of the Hybrid Pack.

"You don't have to snap at her Atsuko," said another vice a bit shyly, "we know we have to get out" She had light blue hair and eyes the colour of the night sky, while her skin was somehow tanned. Megumi, the Gecko of the Hybrid Pack.

"Megumi is right, but Atsuko too" interjected another kid, "we need to get out, but we must keep calm" her hair was a platinum white, with eyes hazel in colour and a tall build. She was Ayane, the Jackal.

"Easy to say, not so easy to do" said the last girl, "we need to blow the roof" the girl grinned. She was a blond with hair the colour of the sun and eyes a deep sky blue, she had a diamond shape on her forehead. She was Katsumi, The Owl.

"Right, couldn't have a less explosive idea" the only boy shook his head, "If we can do it without the cave coming down on us, then that's good" He was a spiky red-headed boy with purple eyes and two feather-like marks on his cheeks. He was Arashi, The Hawk.

An explosion rang out through the doorway, and some debris fell from the ceiling, "We have to leave fast" said Atsuko.

"I know, I know" Arashi looked around the room, to the door and then at the ceiling, "Atsuko, Ayane, keep us posted, if someone comes, shout" the two nodded, "Akira, snap one of the tables, Katsumi and I are using that to make an explosive" The girl cracked her knuckles and punched a table, snapping it. The two bird-hybrids started to carve on it.

Arashi gave the carved piece of wood to Megumi, "Get it up there, put some chakra on it and drop, it will blow the roof up."

The blunette nodded, putting the board on her back and climbing the wall, following Arashi's instructions.

She placed it, and connecting herself to the plank with a chakra string she dropped down, making the thing explode as she was half-way to the floor.

"They breached into the lab!" shouted the canine Hybrids from the door.

Arashi nodded and made some hand-seals, his face crunched up in concentration. Slowly but surely, two clones formed from the water plates that were on the cages, "Megumi, you're with Katsumi, Atsuko, Ayane, with my clones, Akira with me, we're flying out of here"

The four girls grimaced, thinking about the their last time flying in the arms of Katsumi and Arashi, but scampered as an explosion rang particularly close to the cave.

"On the count of three" said Katsumi, preparing to run for take-off, "One." an explosion rang even closer, "Two," someone started ramming the door, "THREE"

Katsumi and the Arashi's ran a bit before jumping off the ground, expanding their wings as they struggled to rise, not strong enough to take-off quickly with passengers.

The doorway burst under them, the metal door smashing on the opposite wall with a clang.

Arashi looked down to see one of the Konoha-ninja breathing in. Recognizing the action of someone about to launch a jutsu through their mouths, he shouted, "KUZO, KATSUMI, DODGE ON MY CALL" his eyes darted to the floor and to the hole on the ceiling, hoping that they would make it through the opening on time.

"NOW!" the clone carrying Atsuko shouted. The four winged flapped backwards, letting a fireball pass in front of them, and following the flaming jutsu out of the cave, leaving some angry shinobi bellow them.

Arashi grinned towards his friends, before looking behind him to the flaming facility.

They, had done it, they were free.

* * *

***Forest*Miles away from Orchimaru's facility***

They semi crash-landed on the woods to the north-east of Hi no Kuni, near one of the borders to the smaller countries.

The water clones dissolved shortly after the landing, Arashi being unable to maintain them any longer.

Katsumi and Arashi stayed on all fours, panting for breath and trying to cool down their aching wings; as much energy the two of them had, comparable only to Atsuko's, they had to tire sometime.

After some minutes of breathing deeply the two got on their feet, grinning like loons.

Ayane and Akira had happy smirks on their faces, while Megumi and Atsuko were wearing small smiles.

The Hybrid Pack looked at each other, "we did it" Ayane whispered, "we finally did it"

"WE'RE FREE" shouted Atsuko.

"No more experiments" whispered Megumi.

"No more tiring mazes" said Akira.

"No more shots" said Katsumi.

"No more lab" finished Arashi, "From now on, it's us against the world"

Two roars were heard, followed by two more, though they were quieter, "First though" said Ayane, rubbing her head in embarrassment, "we need food"

* * *

***The next day***

As had become a custom for the Hybrid Pack, they were up early, just a few minutes after dawn, though they were a lot groggier than normal, since they had stayed up late laughing and celebrating their escape from Orochimaru and the ninja that had destroyed the lab.

Akira was the first to wake up, rolling on her stomach and arching her back for a few seconds.

Next was Katsumi, making Akira surprised since the girl had flown without rest and then had been the second to last to fall asleep.

Then Atsuko opened her yellow eyes, cursed the sun and slowly stood up, swearing every single curse she knew at having woken up with the sun on her face.

Arashi simply sat up, yawned and stretched all his muscles, taking care of not damaging his wings, since they would take some time to heal.

Ayane grunted as she woke, before jumping to her feet and bending as much as she could, falling forward and rolling back to her feet, tumbling a bit because of the blood moving about her body.

Megumi was last to wake up, she basked in the sun, enjoying the heat it gave her, since the DNA injection made her semi-cold-blooded.

Arashi looked at The Hybrid Pack and said, "Al right girls, I know you´re happy" Atsuko grumbled, the red-head ignored her "but we need to train" an image of a dark-haired man crossed his head and he grimaced, "we must make Karasu-hakasei proud, wherever he is"

The atmosphere around him became grim as everyone had one or another memory of their father in all but blood passed through their minds.

Arashi reached into his scraps of clothing, grasping the worn notebook that Karasu had left them. He held it out in front of him with care, as if holding a precious piece of art.

He sat down, the girls crowding behind him, and opened the last page, reading the last words of their father out loud, "I know you'll be sad, but try not to drown in grief; I doubt I'll be seeing you anymore, Orochimaru-sama has told me that he will be escaping sometime during the week.

"I've been working with you for years, I know you as much as you know each other, if not better. I've been there in your hardest moments, and if you're reading this in the outside world, then please let yourselves find happiness, specially you Arashi, you don't have to always be strong, let yourself go sometimes.

"In this journal, you'll find a seal, I know you'll recognize it, Arashi, Katsumi. In it is everything I wanted to teach you but couldn't, get strong and find a place to settle down, start a family, you name it, just follow your heart."

The next few lines were messy, as if they were rushed.

"Orochimaru will be leaving, escaping from the Hokage.

"Listen kids, I won't be leaving with you, I doubt I'll be able to leave the installation alive, therefore I'll be sealing in the next page everything I can, from common knowledge to fuinjutsu to whatever Orochimaru knows about you.

"You know who you are, don't lose yourselves, don't look to the past and NEVER, EVER regret what you've done.

"Please, remember that I loved you"

Arashi flipped the page, looking at the intermediate level storage seal on it, and stared, the girls behind him doing the same.

He closed the journal with a snap, his body shaking and his breath ragged.

Arashi stood up and tried to even his breathing, "we're finding refuge first," he said between pants, "we're heading north-east, towards the ruins of Uzu no Kuni," he started moving, not noticing the worried glances at his back, "we'll be living there for some time, while we train, then we're catching a boat out of the continent, after that, we wander, eventually we settle down somewhere, as long as it's not here"

The girls started at his back even as they manoeuvred between the trees following him, "Wh-What was that?" asked Megumi.

Katsumi shook his head, "I don't know, he's never like this" she said.

"Maybe it was because of what Karasu-kyōju wrote to him" suggested Ayane

"Or the loss got to him" Atsuko shrugged

"Whatever it is," said Akira, "he'll probably want to be alone"

The others nodded in agreement and walked in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

"You know," Ayane started "I remember that Arashi-kun was close to Karasu-kyoju, much more close than us"

"Yeah," Akira smiled, "he wouldn't try if it wasn't Karasu that asked him something"

"Arashi-kun is too prideful for his own good" said Katsumi, "he doesn't want to shame himself."

"Well," started Megumi, "w-we did m-make him our leader"

"We never made it official" Atsuko tried weakly, "I'm sure he just needs time"

"I just hope he can get past whatever funk he's into," Katsumi grinned, "I'm already tired of the walking he's making us do"

Her fellow Hybrid Pack members snickered, making Arashi look back, "You gonna stand there laughing? We need to move" he said shaking his head.

The rest of the Hybrid Pack looked at him, running to catch up.

* * *

***Sunset*Fifty miles away from the sea***

After hours of walking, trotting and running, the Hybrid Pack stopped by a river that went on to the sea

The group lay panting on the ground, having run for miles on end with no rest, Arashi still troubled by what Karasu's journal had said.

The girls glared at him as he rested with his back to a tree, "why...aren't...you...a sweating...mess?" asked Akira.

He smirked at them, "I am...as tired...as you...but I don't...sweat," he pointed at his fellow bird hybrid, "Katsumi...doesn't either"

"It's...as much...a blessing...as it is...a curse" said the blonde girl from her spot in the floor.

"Do we have...to keep...moving?" asked Ayane, "We need...rest"

"I'm...with her" said Atsuko, "I can't...move any...more"

"Please Arashi...kun" started Megumi, "let us rest"

Arashi stayed silent for awhile, catching his breath and letting the others do the same, "You know," the red-head started, "I think we can stop for the day"

Ayane started at his face, looking for anything that would uncover lies, "you won't say anything about training?" asked the white-haired girl, "we know how you are."

The red-head laughed, "we were training the whole day," he said.

"WHAT?!" shouted Atsuko, "what do you mean?" asked the raven-haired girl, confused about what her friend said

Megumi's eyes shone with understanding "Stamina training" said the blunette, blushing as everyone turned to her, "y-you trained our s-stamina"

Arashi laughed and nodded, "Karasu-hakasei told me once that it isn't strength what matters most," said the purple-eyed boy, "but stamina"

"Of course," said Atsuko energetically, "we can just run around someone," said the wolf-hybrid, "out last them"

"How long will we be doing this?" asked Katsumi.

"Just this week" said Arashi, "then we start on what Karasu-hakasei left for us"

The Hybrids spent some time fishing in the river, catching one fish for each member, and roasting them over a fire that Megumi started, since she didn't want to get cold on the river.

The girls went to sleep soon after dinner, but Arashi stayed up for more time, thinking about the time he had spent with his adoptive father.

_'What should I do Tou-san?'_ he thought, '_I'm not strong enough for them, I can't protect them all, what should I DO'_

Arashi didn't have a good night.

* * *

**This is a story that won't follow Naruto cannon at all. Towns are going to be made up. Countries are going to be explored. Villians are going to be made up.**

**This idea came to me while reading Never-More (RIP Maximum Ride), which got me thinking: 'I've seen Naruto the Chimera and The Frozen Flame, both awesome and both with the same basic idea; Naruto used as and experiment by Orochimaru.'**

**What I want to do here is take it to another level; many experiment instead of just one, and not only that, but doing it while trying to expand upon the Naruto world, as we only see some countries by passing, and only go in-depth into them in arcs they appear in.**

**This will be mainly adventure, as the Hybrid Pack explores the world, instead of just the main continent (I'm not speaking rubish, if you actually search for a map of ALL the Ninja World, you'll see that there are five continets, not counting Temujin's)**

**Read, Review, Follow.**

**Ja ne**


	3. Flight to Uzu

**The Island of the Whirlpools**

***Coast of the Elemental Continent*Morning***

Arashi woke up feeling stiff, a result of having rolled onto his wings at some point during the night, and went to the river to wash himself and catch some more fish, maybe if he had time before the girls woke up he could even pick a few berries, though relying on luck while fishing would probably get him only a couple.

He couldn't relax, not even when he let the water clean him, he just couldn't get a memory that had sprung up in his dreams out of his head.

His fondest memory of Karasu-hakasei.

He had been four, almost five, years old at the time. A physical test that lasted all day had ended a few minutes before dinner time and all of the ate a lot and went to bed almost as soon as they finished, but he hadn't fallen asleep until much later than the others, thinking it his duty to protect his pack mates.

Then karasu had entered the Hybrid Place, clipboard in hand and pen flying over the paper, writing notes on it.

"Why are you awake?" the doctor had asked, "With all you've done today I expected you to be passed out on the floor"

Arashi hadn't answered, only turning to look at his friends.

The doctor had arched an eyebrow and chuckled, all the while shaking his head, "I should have expected this," the man had said, "listen kid, you may have put them up to your care, but all of you are under mine"

Arashi kept silent, just looking at Karasu.

"Let's make a deal, you watch over them during tests and when I'm not here, and I do it whenever you are all within reach, Ok?" the scientist had proposed, holding out his hand.

Arshi had looked at the hand a bit distrustfully, a byproduct of his childhood, but had taken it and nodded just as Karasu was about to retract his hand.

After that they had spent hours talking, with Arashi tentatively asking questions about the outside world, wanting to learn as much as he could.

After that, Karasu had ascended from 'good man in the coat' to 'awesome caretaker', getting up to 'father' when Arashi hit six.

Arashi shook his head, sending the memories away, though he was sure that they would return later.

He stayed in the river for ten minutes after waking up from his daydreaming, leaving when he heard a loud yawn.

Atsuko was too loud.

* * *

***Camp site***

Atsuko was NOT a morning person, part of the reason why Karasu-Sensei almost always scheduled his tests for noon, when she had had enough time to wake up properly.

The amber-eyed Hybrid looked around grinning slightly at the sight of trees all around her, still enjoying the freedom the Pack had acquired two days ago.

She started to stretch, trying to get the stiffness off her back, which had settled because she slept curled up.

She and Ayane always slept like that.

They all had some unique for of sleeping really; She and Ayane with their arms and legs folded and curled up, Akira slept spread up with her front on the ground, Megumi face up with legs and arms crossed, Katsumi slept with her head tucked between her arms and Arashi slept sitting up with his head on his knees.

Just as the energetic girl finished her stretches, Arashi came into view, carrying three fishes and wt to the bone.

"OHAYO, ARASHI-KUN" shouted the girl, "how are you, still moody?" she asked.

Her shout had the side effect of waking everyone up, though she didn't notice.

Arashi's eyes shone with amusement and he smiled a bit, "better, the sleep helped"

"That's good" yawned Katsumi; "I was worried you would end up like that forever" the blonde smiled sleepily.

"Kami knows that would be awful" agreed Ayane, smirking as she saw his indignant face.

"D-don't be mean to Arashi-kun" Megumi rubbed her arms a bit, "he got us b-b-breakfast"

"What did you catch?" asked Akira rubbing her stomach.

"Fish" answered Arashi, "Half-a-one each, couldn't catch more" he srugged.

Akira grumbled something about not being enough.

"You could always wait for us to catch more" snapped Ayane, making the green-eyed girl grudgingly shake her head, "Then stop complaining"

"You shouldn't snap at Akira, Ayane" Katsumi yawned again, "you know she eats more than us"

"She eats less than I," Arashi said, "You should eat more too, you know, flying uses much more energy than walking"

Katsumi waved him off, "I'll eat more when we get more food, until then I'll eat the same as everyone"

Arashi shook his head, letting the topic go.

They stayed silent, munching on the fish filets as slowly as they could, wanting to get the most out of them.

It took them ten minutes, but they finished the fishes and buried the remains with the ashes of the fire.

"If everyone's finished," Arashi spoke, "Same as two days ago, we're taking off from the river"

As they walked, Atsuko couldn't help but silently hope that Katsumi would take her and not a clone, since when the later dispelled it had left her soaking wet, something she really didn't enjoy.

* * *

***Sea to the east of the elemental continent*noon***

Ayane wasn't one to enjoy flying, she liked her feet on the ground where she could fight, thank you very much.

It didn't help that she was currently being carried by a clone, a _water_ clone, a water clone made by _someone her age_, someone who hadn't mastered the jutsu and could only make it las as long as he had chakra.

This wouldn't be a problem on land, where they could easily lay down to rest or eat something to replenish chakra; but here, in the air, with miles and miles of water under them, with no food-source other than the fishes that swam feet under the water and no way to rest unless they wanted float for a bit…Flying was scary in these conditions.

It's not that the white-haired girl didn't trust Arashi, far from it really; he was, apart from Karasu-kyōju, the only male she trusted with all her being, but while he was strong (for the pack at least), he was a kid, a kid with different personalities.

It didn't help that Atsuko was shouting at the top of her lungs in excitement from where she was hanging from Katsumi's arms.

If only there was a bridge to cross from continent to continent, or at least a boat.

A few miles away an old man building a house sneezed, dropping the beam he was holding.

* * *

Megumi was always one for emotions, since they caused her to heat up, reducing the stutter she suffered from because of her cold blood.

Some emotions worked better than others, like anger and excitement, which were the best, or fear, which caused her to freeze for a second or two.

The few times that she had been carried by Arashi or Katsumi were some of the best, warmest moments she had, because her emotions ran so high that chemicals were constantly running through her.

Though there was always the slight fear she felt when they took her really high, like that one time that they had tested Arashi's strength in one of the few domes of the lab.

Her first emotional test was one of her best and worst memories; she had been subjected at things that had given her nightmares for weeks, she had been sure that she would be sick because of how cold she felt by the time the test was over.

Then Karasu-hakasei had picked her up, held her while she cried and carried her back to the cave where they slept; the man hadn't left until after she finally fell asleep, and even then he had moved Arashi to her cage.

The two had woken up to the amused snickering of the rest of the Pack.

The blunette could say though, that she liked flying, even if she preferred lying on the sun.

* * *

Akira didn't mind where she was as long as there was someone close; that was the main reason that she was indifferent to being carried during flight.

Being part bear granted her strength; her muscles were far stronger than average, and combined with the instinctual knowledge of how to throw her weight into a punch without overbalancing made her a fearsome girl, even if her potential was still untapped.

There was one thing she didn't like about herself though; her muscles, though still a bit compressed, made her look fat.

Sure she was a kid, and the baby fat would eventually disappear but it was still annoying that while almost everyone else on the Hybrids was thin while she wasn't.

The brunette didn't hold the fact that she was chubby and they weren't against them, but it would still be nice if her build fit her better for her muscles; like if she was taller than average like Ayane.

Still, being her did have some advantages, like that one time one of the idiots at the lab had tried to man-handle her when Karasu-sensei wasn't present.

She had broken his arm as soon she could, and she was pretty sure that one of her kick had nailed him in the crotch.

She was proud of that moment.

After that no one dared to come near them, for fear of losing a limb, or their balls.

Yeah, she was strong, she knew it, and she loved it, though she would prefer being overly tall to chubby.

* * *

If one were to ask Atsuko what she liked doing best, the ravenette would answer with a short list: 1) Rolling in the mud or dirt. 2) Running. 3) And having one of her friends carry her while they flew.

She was a girl that enjoyed the moment, always looking towards the light in most situations while ignoring the possible dangers unless they were glaringly obvious.

There was, of course, the discomfort at being carried by one of the close Arashi created, as they would soak her when they dissolved soon after landing.

Atsuko didn't like getting wet unless it was to take a bath, in which case she tried to spend as much time in the water as possible, especially if there was a guaranty that it would keep flowing, even better it was if the water was warm.

The reason she loved flying and running was because of the freedom she felt as the air hit her face, it brought a grin to her face whenever the wind smacked into her as she moved at top speed.

Atsuko didn't care where they were going; as long as she was with her friends, her family in all but blood, she would be happy.

If they were together, she was sure that they would overcome evcerything.

If only they had more food.

* * *

If you were to ask Katsumi if she disliked her wings, she would laugh in your face, kick you in the legs, slap you around a little and stomp you in the chest before she left you lying in a pile of mud as she flew away.

She loved her wings, even if they weren't natural in her body. They were awesome.

The blond and Arashi were the only on the whole Hybrid Pack with wings, and even if the red-head didn't show it, he loved them as much as she did, if not more.

Katsumi wasn't as complicated as the few people that knew her believed; she was a girl that cared for her friends and would do anything for them, even if it meant having to take a hit for someone else.

Katsumi was normally calm, until you threatened someone she cared for; then she would take all her anger on you and then some more, just to make sure that you didn't try a second time.

In the end, to her all that mattered were her friends and her family.

If she had to fight for them, so be it.

If she had to train until she dropped, so be it.

Without her family, she would be nothing.

* * *

Arashi needed to be serious, that was something he had learned a few weeks after birth.

When one lived under the roof of a man who wanted nothing but experiment on you and the few people you were close to and you were the only who could learn to do something about it, as measly as your actions were.

He was always the first on line when the time for injections and experiments came, always voluntarily; always hoping he would be enough to make the bastard that kidnapped them satisfied.

Arashi had taken it upon himself to do what no one else on the lab they were being held, he had made it his duty to protect those that suffered by his side.

No harm would come to HIS pack if there was something he could do to prevent it.

Karasu-hakasei, the only man that cared for them, was the only person that had gotten as deep as his sisters into his heart.

Karasu, his father in everything but blood, had been the only adult he trusted, the only human, for the pack wasn't completely human anymore, that had protected them.

Now there was no adult, no human to protect them, no one but themselves to trust.

* * *

***Uzu no Kuni*Forest***

They had flown slowly, since they didn't have anything to fear now it would only tire them out unnecessarily, something none of them wanted.

It was unfortunate that they had spent most of the day in the air, trying to find the island they were looking for.

So it was with tired wings and spirits that the Hybrids hunted for their food, going to sleep when the sun was well past set.

Not once through the day did they notice a set of eyes watching them.

* * *

**This chapter was more of a filler.**

**In all truth, the only reason I HAD to do it was because of the thought I wrote during the journy, hopefuly they will give you readers a better grasp on the Hybrid's personalities.**


	4. Aftermath

**The aftermath**

***Konohagakure no Sato*Day after the escape*Hokage's office***

Sarutobi Hiruzen was a tired old man, having fought through all three wars had left him with the pacific ways of a monk, he didn't want to see death again, he didn't want to experience loss, and he didn't want to look at destruction.

And yet, Hiruzen had experienced it again not seven years ago and once again yesterday.

When the Kyuubi attacked he had lost a friend in his successor, a love in his wife, family in one of his children, comrades in the village. He had been reinstated as the leader of the village after Namikaze Minato sacrificed himself, his wife and children in order to stop the Kyuuby that had escaped from Minato's wife.

And now, after years of a peaceful life, Orochimaru had revealed himself a mad scientist in a quest for power and immortality, with no regards for human life, and he had lost subordinates because of it.

The wizened o Kage took a long drag from his pipe and tiredly looked at the leading jonin of all the squad he had formed during the skirmish, "report, from left to right" the smoke left his lungs as he spoke.

"Sir, my squad took the west wing, other than some corpses in different stages of discomposure and some torture devices there wasn't much." Spoke the Bear-masked ANBU.

"There was some resistance on the north wing, but it was because the scientists were working on destroying their files, apart from a single file on an enzyme that increases the strength but reduces critical thinking, my squad couldn't rescue much" The Tiger-masked jonin spoke.

Hiruzen turned to the Dog ANBU, "Nothing on the east wing, only living quarters for the scientists and ninja."

And finally the Lizard-ANBU, "My squad had a more eventful venture, the south wing had most of the testing facilities, there were corpses that had a mark on the neck, most likely a seal, but they were hardly human, most of the death had gone through a horrible transformation.

"Then there was a door labeled 'Hybrid's Cave', my squad and I went into the room as soon as we heard an explosion coming from inside, only to see...winged people carrying someone out through the roof"

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, "Did they attack?"

"No sir, they just blew up the ceiling and flew away carrying for other people" answered Lizard

"Any unforgettable features?" four of them were winged, so he was sure Lizard would say that, but he wanted something like hair color of face structure.

"Apart from the wigs we could only see their hair" Lizard tilted his head up and started to list what he saw, "A blond , the only winged girl, three winged red-heads, a platinum-blond girl, a brunette and a girl with light blue hair"

"Three red-heads," muttered Hiruzen, _'Red hair became almost extinct with the fall of the Uzumakis, the only people I've seen with red hair are the Kazekage, his son, the Raikage's niece and that one woman from the Kiri rebels that came for help, clones then, two of them_'

The four ANBU stayed straight as their leader turned away from them, but left the room when they saw him wave a hand from his seat, '_just what did you do, Orochimaru?'_

* * *

***Intelligence department*T&I division*two hours later***

The sound of flesh hitting flesh broke the silence of the night, as deep within the Intelligence department of the jonin headquarters a lot of action was taking place.

Many rooms had been filled the day before and as a result all hands were active and not one agent was without someone to torture.

On the main room of the department though, where only the highest people in the business could enter, was a single prisoner who hadn't revealed anything but his name: Kenkyū Karasu, one of Orochimar's most trusted.

No one who knew him would recognize him though, as one of his eyes was swollen shut, the other was bloodshot from a burst blood vessel in it, both his arms were purple masses with a few red streams flowing down them and his legs were bent at awkward angles.

And yet, even through his pain, through the black haze that was his mind, he refused to give information on his children

"ANSWER DANMIT, YOU'RE DYING ANYWAY!" shouted the lead interrogator Morino Ibiki.

Karasu just strained himself to look at the scarred man, closed his mouth for a few seconds and spit the blood he had gathered on the interrogator's face, enjoying the look of utter anger, but losing the feeling as a senbon pierce his side, "I'll…tell…you…when…you…meet…me in…hell" even the few words hurt him

Morino scowled, but didn't let it affect him much, instead he just called out, "Bring the scimitar" and turned back to his victim, "there is an interesting method of torture from beyond Shizen Tariku that requires weapons to the live red temperature, I'm sure you can imagine how much that will hurt," Karasu glared at Ibiki with his bloodshot eye, "You can save yourself the pain if you cooperate, you could even go to a normal prison instead of the one in the volcano"

Karasu stayed silent while Morino waited for the weapon to arrive, which it did half an hour later, "Now, this last chance to tell us what you were researching before I start to bring out the big jutsus, WILL. YOU. TALK?" Karasu closed his still open eye and took a shuddering breath, steeling his nerves for the pain.

He wasn't disappointed; a cut with the red-hot blade caused him to scream in pain as the cut cauterized in contact with the blade, preventing it from ever healing properly, another cut, this time to his leg guaranteed that he would never move as well as he could, and yet he didn't talk.

Such was his loyalty to his children.

* * *

***Karasu's cell*Five hours later***

The once imposing man, whose hair had resembled the darkest of the moonless nights, whose chestnut eyes shone with knowledge and understanding, whose voice was capable of scaring lesser men, was now reduce to bloody and scarred purple mess because of all the torture.

A doctor apprentice was working on stabilizing him, so he could once again be worked on for information, but they hadn't gotten from him, and they wouldn't until after he was dead, if he didn't take them with him.

But Karasu needed someone, someone who could pass along a message that would reach only his children, and hopefully a doctor would agree, "Are you…under the…Hippocratic oath?" he rasped out to the medic treating him.

The doctor shook his head, I'm afraid I haven't taken it yet, as I've been studying for only a year," answered the apprentice, "Would you like me to call my Master?"

Karasu nodded weakly, his forces practically non-existent, but enough for what he wanted.

The man that healed him left the cell, knowing that as injured as he was there was no way for him to escape.

Ten minutes later, the same doctor entered, followed by a man that was obviously older than both of them, and possessed an aura of calm, "My young student told me you wanted someone under Oath, you are lucky that Konoha still follows the tradition, or at least some of us."

"Thank…you" Karasu moved his head so it was looking at the corner of the roof with the wall, "Come…closer…please" the doctor sat on the bed, careful not to touch the broken man, and leaned his head over Karasu's "There's…a group…of kids…I…looked…after" The doctor nodded and took out a note pad, "Five…girls…one…boy…the boy…red-head…purple…eyes…three…marks…on cheeks…if you…see him…tell…I'm…sorry…tell…I wait…until…they're…ancient"

The doctor raised an eyebrow, the man wanted him to deliver a message to someone he had really low chances to find, but he wrote the message, filling the spaces he was sure the mess of a man couldn't say, and said when he was finished, "I swear on my Oath, that this will stay between you, me and the recipient, should I break my promise I will retire from my profession, for it would make me unpure," the doctor stood up and put his notebook back in his pocket, missing the smile on Karasu's face

"Thank…you so…much" and with that, Karasu went to sleep

* * *

***Hokage's office*two days later***

"What did you learn?" the Old Hokage asked Ibiki as he stood in front of him.

The scarred man sighed and looked a bit green, "It was one of his more…savory…labs, where he developed the side projects"

"And what about the flying people?" asked the Hokage.

"Some of the scientists said something about them being only a few years old, brats" answered Ibiki, "The one working on that said nothing, even with the methods from beyond the west, and he only told Takami-senesei anything, made him swear on his Oath as medic"

The Hokage grimaced, "So nothing on what they can do?"

"No sir, only what the ANBU told you"

HIruzen sighed, "Dismissed, I have to think" Ibiki bowed and left, leaving the old man to himself.

It was worrying, especially if they were just kids, they could have been brain-washed into serving Orochimaru as loyally as Danzo's 'personal guard,' and with little to no knowledge of what they could do, no proper strategy could be done to counter them, meaning they were loose ends.

But then there was the chance that the doctor they had been under got all the loyalty to himself, making them useful only to him, so there was the possibility to make them ninja of Konoha if they managed to subvert Kenkyū Karasu to them, they kids would follow.

But as stubborn as the scientist had been, he doubted that they would manage.

How do you make a father betray his children?

* * *

**This chapter went different from what I expected expected, I believed that it would be one big toruture scene with some scenes with the Hokage in-between.**

**The Doc. will make an appearance later on, way later, and only to deliver Karasu's words to the Pack, other than that nothing much is important to the overall plot, though there may be an adventure in Konoha *shrugs* I'll think about it.**

**For those of you that have never heard of the Hippocratic oath, the next few lines are a paraphrased version:**

**I swear to God and all deities of the world to keep this oath to the best of my abilities.**

**I will treat my teacher in the art as I would treat my parents, offer him susteinance shold he need it and consider his sons and duaghter my brethren, and to teach anyone who asks as long as he follows this.**

**I will write prescriptions to the needen medicine and only that, never willingly arming anyone.**

**I will not help anyone with their death, nor will I give a mother an abortive.**

**I will keep my art pure.**

**I will NOT perform a surgery on a field I'm not specialised in and leave it to the ones that are.**

**When visiting a house I will enter only for the cunsult and won't accept sex as payment.**

**I will keep secret everything my patient doesn't want to be spread, for it is his secret to tell.**

**If I keep on this Oath, then I can enjoy life, fortune an respect, if I don't, then may I rot in hell.**

**Just some info I could use for the story, took it, fell free to do the same.**

**See ya next week.**

**Sayonara**


	5. A survivor

**The Wirlpool survivor.**

***Uzu no kuni*Morning***

Arashi was the first to wake again, looking around as a rustle came from the tree above him, "COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE"

The sound of birds and insects answered him, but he could feel eyes on him, and he hated not knowing who or what was out there, watching.

Eventually the presence left the area with even more sound than when it had arrived, so he assumed it had been just an animal, a boar or something like that.

Arashi took out Karasu's journal from where he had hidden it on his person and started reading one of the entries of the middle of the notebook.

**March 9**

**The kids have been doing well, they are fast learners, considering they just started basic math five weeks ago and can already do the basic four.**

**I still don't know what goes on in Arashi's mind; I sometimes think that he's plotting something with all the times I've caught him staring at space. Makes me wonder if he would be a prankster had he been raised in Konoha.**

**Katsumi too, she has this creative strike in her, she would be a fine painter if she tried.**

**Those are the only two I could get a good read on, Akira would probably be a training freak, Atsuko a child forever, Ayane a damn fine ANBU and Megumi would probably become a genjutsu mistress.**

**I'm starting to doubt my oath to Orochimaru, some of the things he does are just awful.**

**April 10**

**Somehow Arashi got some paint.**

**I was writing some notes on my clipboard while he was flying in the cave and he managed to get the drop on one of my colleges, it was funny, seeing Inori in pink.**

**He didn't dare report since it was humiliating enough being pink, he would be forced to transfer if he told anyone a kid did it.**

**I did give Arashi a punishment, but I don't think he thought much of it.**

He chuckled at the memory, yeah; the punishment was nothing to him, as the only thing that actually changed was that he wouldn't be doing any exercise (i.e. tests) for a month, and where he went the pack followed.

"What are you laughing at?" he looked up to see Katsumi looking at him.

Arashi stood up with her help and said, "Took a trip down memory lane" he put the journal away, "My first prank, the pink paint"

Katsumi nodded, "It was hilarious, watching the bastard run around dripping pink"

Arashi grinned and chuckled, "good way to get entertainment," he said.

Katsumi looked at him, "It's good to have you back" she said.

"Don't say it," said Arashi, "Now help me wake up the lazy bums"

The two shook the others awake, Katsumi kicking Akira on the side when the bear-hybrid just grunted and rolled over.

"DAMN IT GIRL," Akira shouted, "let me get up myself!" She rubbed her side.

"Katsumi, please don't abuse Akira" Said Ayane in a deadpan.

The blonde rubbed her shoulder, "She wasn't waking up"

"No excuse" replied the hazel-eyed girl.

* * *

***Capitol*Uzu no Kuni***

The capital city of Uzu no Kuni, a once lively place, where children ran around playing, where adults talked to each other about anything and everything, a place once brimming with live and joy, was now reduced to a wasteland where only vermin still lived in.

The parks that littered the city were overgrown, weeds everywhere, grass as tall as Ayane's shoulder, trees blocking the view of the horizon, cobblestone roads had plants growing between rocks and buildings that once stood tall and proud were reduced to ruins.

The Hybrids walked down the main road, carefully stepping over debris from the destroyed buildings, "This place gives me the creeps" said Akira.

"I know," agreed Katsumi, "the corpses don't help at all"

The street was covered in bones and ashes, different kinds of bandanas with metal plates or metal plates only marked the origin of each corpse.

For some reason Arashi stopped at one point, where several skeletons lay together with swords around them.

He grabbed the bandanas and one of the swords with its sheathe still intact; he could use it until he found one in better condition.

"Why did you grab them, Arashi-kun?" asked Atsuko as Arashi handed them the metal plates.

The red-head shrugged, "They could be useful" at their questioning looks he sighed, "In one of the few fuinjutsu classes Karasu-hakasei could give me, he said that the people here were masters of the trade, their headband may have seals that give us entry to places we couldn't access," he didn0t mention that the spiral was somehow familiar to him.

They kept walking, looking around at everything that they could lay their eyes on, until they reached the center of the city.

The building where the Daimyo, his court and guards did their final stand.

Scorch marks were littered around the front wall, as were cuts dark splotches of blood.

The ninja and samurai that had fought around the building still had their armor and weapons on them, giving them the appearance of being undead warriors.

"H-how about we s-stay away from it?" asked Megumi, a slight shiver running down her spine.

Arashi shook his head, "I know it looks scary" he said, "but it's the only place in living conditions, it must have conserves around"

"I'm with Megumi on this one" said Katsumi, Atsuko nodding in agreement.

"We need food and shelter" snapped Ayane, "The sky looks like it will rain"

"We need shelter, and we know a night in a cave will be too soon" agreed Akira.

"Could we just" started Katsumi, "try to find another place"

Atsuko nodded, "Somewhere less creepy" she said.

The weather seemed to disagree with her, because as soon as she said it, a few water droplets fell, followed shortly by a heavy rain.

Against their wishes, Atsuko, Megumi and Katsumi found themselves following after Arashi, Akira and Ayane inside the Daimyo palace.

Arashi led the group, the girls all with their eyes darting around as the little light casted shadows on the few things it touched.

The red-head didn't show it, but he had a bad feeling.

Atsuko sniffed a few times and leaned close to Ayane, "you smell that?" she asked.

Ayane took a deep breath that would look like a sign of exasperation to anyone else, "yes," she answered, "it doesn't smell closed off"

"I wonder why?" Atsuko wondered aloud.

Arashi answered, showing that he had gotten something other than his wings when he was injected, "Many windows and doors were probably busted during the assault," he said, "there probably aren't closed doors anymore, so the air can circulate properly, even inside"

Atsuko pouted, "Have I told you that I hate your ears?"

"Many times, yes" Arashi nodded, "That one time I heard you sleep talking was your most vocal declaration"

"IT WAS A DREAM" shouted the girl, embarrassed at the reminder.

"You still said it, and it's good blackmail material" smiled the red-head.

"What DID you say?" asked Katsumi, a grin on her face.

Silence from Atsuko and snickers from Arashi met her question.

* * *

'_Intruders, the last attempt was twenty years ago'_A grey-haired man looked down from the rafters of the palace, _'yet, only family could have gotten this far_' his eyes locked on the figure of the only boy, the only one that obviously belonged to the Uzumaki, _'That kid, he didn't show it, but the hitai-ate called for him, I saw it in his eyes._

'_Koji-ojii said some managed to flee, could he be a child of the survivors?_

'_And the blond, both feel like Mito-sama and Kushina-sama, could they have the __inton__?_

'_They all feel wild; their chakra is lashing out much like an animal's, could the bulges on blond and red-head be related to that?'_

The figure smirked, _'They're approaching the throne room, time for a little fun'_

* * *

***Daimyo's throne room***

The Pack pushed against the doors, which were somehow still standing, with all their might, Akira doing most of the work.

They looked around the, surprisingly intact, room, seeing the roof painted with almost lifelike clouds, the sky to the realistic landscape on the wall.

The kids stopped paying attention to their surrounding in favor of looking around in awe at the paintings that almost seemed to move.

Therefore, when a voice from the throne said, "I've been expecting you" they jumped a feet into the air, making the figure on the chair to chuckle, "you have NO idea how long I've wanted to do that" the figure shifted and his next words were harsh, "now what the hell are you doing here? Answer right, or I'll kill you"

The doors slammed shut and the girls of the pack gulped, though Arashi slipped into a mask that he hadn't used for two months.

'_This is bad, he's got experience over us, territorial advantage too'_ his eyes looked for anything that may help, _'The hand behind his back has a weapon in it, I could use my sword but it is blunt and old and I don't know chakra flow._

'_Our wings could give advantage, Katsumi and I did learn how use our feathers as weapons, though we need a current and the place is closed off, so nothing can hold us up as we do it.'_

"We're on the run" answered Arashi, his eyes still darting around, "We escaped from a madman and came here since we thought it was deserted"

The man laughed, "Well you thought wrong, and you most fight to leave"

With that he stood up and ran at them, Arashi barely having time to put the sword in front of him.

* * *

**Finally, new chapter up, this one was idappointingly hard to get out, had to rewrite it.**

**I don't think there will be an update until next weekend, exams and projects piled up and I have little free time, the main reason for the chapters to come out today**.

**Wait for the update.**

**Sayonara**


	6. Close call

**Close call**

***Uzu no Kuni's daimyo's palace*afternoon***

Arashi felt his arms tremble as the sheer force of the blow from the stranger hit his sheathed sword.

The pain was worse because of his hollow bones; there was nothing to help absorb the impact but his muscles.

His fear, already high because of the attack, went through the roof as the katana's sheathe broke under the pressure of the attack.

Such was the strength of his mysterious opponent.

The man in question laughed madly, "I must admit, most are so off guard by my first attack that they don't survive" the laugh chilled the whole pack to the core, "I don't know you'll survive long enough though"

'_SHIT, with my hands busy and the rest here we can't fly up to escape_' "Everyone, try to get the doors open, I'll hold him off" Arashi ordered.

"But…" started Katsumi.

"BUT NOTHING, IT'S THE ONLY CHANCE!" Arashi grinded out as he was pressed to the floor, his arms aching because of the strain,

Akira and Ayane ran to the door and tackled it, saying to the other three, "COME ON, YOU HEARD ARASHI" Katsumi still looked troubled, looking at the door and back at her red-head friend.

In the end she, Atsuko and Megumi joined Ayane and Akira at tackling the door, but the giant wood refused to budge, only rattling it slightly.

"You should know kid, the people of Uzu, even the nobles and samurai, were all about sealing" Arashi could not answer as he tried to push back, both arms pushing, arms shaking and knees on the ground.

"That…may be…so" Arashi sounded as strained as he looked, "But…they are…not…normal" the red-head managed a weak smile, "and neither…am I" with a strained roar Arashi unfurled his wings and flapped them.

The surprise alone was enough to give Arashi enough time to ask "how is it going over there?" as he flew overhead.

Akira grunted as the five hit the wooden door once again, "not…good" she looked at the other girls, noticing that Katsumi looked indecisive about something, probably about helping Arashi, "DAMN IT GIRL, get your head in the game," the brunette roared as tackled the door again, "I want to help him as much as you do, maybe even more, but right now, our only chance at survival, is bringing. This. Door. Down."

Katsumi nodded and took flight like her friend, but kept close to the door looking for the seal that was keeping the door closed, even if she didn't know how to deactivate it, she could overload it with her chakra.

Arashi dived down to meet his enemy, who lazily blocked with one hand, the other buried in the man's pocket, "I gotta say, that's not something you see every day" the red-head glared at him as his wings tried to give him down force, "but I've seen crazier shit, when a man is beheaded and the head speaks, THAT is some crazy shit, the curses were enough to unnerve me."

Arashi could feel the muscles of his wings and arms getting tired already, his strength, enough to knock out a normal civilian, was doing nothing against this man, who looked amused at his attempts, "You know" the man said, "If you want to hurt me, you should bring out the blade, a blunt sheathe will do nothing"

Akira hit the door again, growling as nothing but a shake resulted, "why…won't…this…door…open?" she threw herself to the door again and they groaned, making her smile a bit, progress.

Katsumi flew up and down the door, trying to find a seal, any seal that would help keep the door closed, it took her close to five times going up and down the wooden boards, but she found them, and without delay, she poured all the chakra she could into the kanji.

The gray-haired man chuckled as he saw this, "So she found it, she won't overload it though, Ojii-sama did it himself, after all"

"I don't…CARE" Arashi swung his legs forward, catching the old man by surprise and managing to kick him in the stomach, stunning him long enough for Arashi to hit him with his blunt weapon.

"Shit, took out a tooth" the man spat a white thing, his tooth, and glared at Arashi, making him gulp, "Now you've done it, you little bastard"

A shout of triumph interrupted them, the girls had broken down the door, "RUN!" shouted Megumi.

The rest were all too eager to comply.

The man saw them retreat, chuckling inside his mind, '_So she did it. That is impressive, she must have some kind of kekkei genkai that makes her chakra denser than the normal Uzumaki'_ he marched towards them, managing to keep up to their run, '_I hope they survive, it gets lonely here_'

Katsumi looked over her wings to see Arashi going backwards towards the exit, probably wanting to see if the man would follow them.

The boy in question turned around and caught up to his friends, "We need to get off the island" he said.

"No shit" panted Akira, "damnit, should have stayed outside"

"We told you" Atsuko got out, "but you…didn't listen"

They didn't speak for the rest of the time it took them to reach the exit, but Arashi was sure that the man was following, "The rive or the sea, we need water" the girls looked at him, "Karasu-hakasei, he taught me the water clones and the water wall jutsu, and I'm sure he taught you either nin or genjutsu, the river also goes to the sea, it's faster than the forest"

The man emerged from the doors to the palace, "Awww," he pouted, "You want to leave me already"

Slowly, their head turned towards the man, their eyes wide with fear, their already high adrenaline going through the roof, "genjutsu, do it"

Arashi flew up and launched a barrage of sharp feathers toward the man, Katsumi doing the same on the other side.

The man shook his head and sighed as he saw the feathers flying towards him '_reminds me of that one time in Swamp Country_' the man did a hand seal, "suiton: suijinheki" two walls, entirely of water, rose from the ground, the grass they rose from going brown, "You have to do better than that"

Akira growled and launched herself at the man with a fist at the ready.

The man caught the fist with his left hand and used the right, the one with the sword to block Arashi, who had once again dived to attack him.

"Ahhhh," the looked at his left arm, the one holding Akira's fist, "damn, you pack a punch, I think you fractured it" He threw Akira into Arashi, sending them both away.

Katsumi came down with a kick to the back of his head, making him stumble a step forward, but he caught her with an elbow thrust and a mule kick, making her groan in pain.

"Now that wasn't very nice of you, little girl" the gray-haired man said and turned to the others, "Are you three as bad as her?" Atsuko ran forward, close to the ground.

The survivor dodged a sloppy punch, "Mou, and you looked like the nice one of the bunch" he palmed her on the chest, driving the air out of Atsuko's lungs and nearly broke a rib.

The man ran towards Ayane, "I don't think you're any nicer, so" lightning sparked on the man's hand, "KON'I" the lightning traveled through the Jackal Hybrid, knocking her out.

The man looked at Megumi who shook the newly downed girl, "I wouldn't take my eyes off an enemy, you know" his sword sparkled with energy as the man charged at the blunette.

Arashi pushed himself to the limit and clocked the strike, giving himself a shock that almost drove him unconscious, "I…won't…let you…hurt…them"

"HA" the man let out a bark of laughter, "Looks like I have a little spitfire"

Anger bubbled inside Arashi, making something inside him wake up, '**And so it begins**'

The red-head's eyes darkened from the normal purple to a deeper, angrier shade, "I WON'T LET YOU HURT MY FRIENDS"

'_So he IS like Mito-sama_' The man looked at the blond girl and noticed that he eyes had become the same shade of purple of the boy's, '_How can they BOTH be jinchuriki?_ _Only Utakata and Han are missing ninja, and unless they were killed and the biijus transferred, that only leaves the Kyuubi, Ichibi and Nanabi are about that age_' The man groaned and coated his blade with water chakra, blunting it.

With this he knocked the remaining kids out, succeeding in making the youki go back into the avian Hybrids.

The man formed a hand-seal that the kids would later on become quite familiar with and said, "kage bunshin no jutsu" five men, the same as the original one, popped up and each picked up a kid.

* * *

***Two days later*forest of Uzu no Kuni***

Arashi woke with a start, almost immediately feeling pain all over his body, "I wouldn't do that if I were you" his hands dashed to where he heard the voice, his head following shortly after, "chakra overload is shit"

The man was holding his hands as if they were nothing, "Where am I?" asked the red-head.

"In my house, I put the others in another room"

"Bring them"

"I can't do that, they are still healing, I'm surprise YOU are even awake"

"Take me then"

"You awoke a minute ago, if you move now your muscles will likely shred themselves"

"Take me to my family" Arashi insisted.

"Kid, any move you make will, weather voluntary or forced can DESTROY you, if I moved you, you could never move again"

"I DON'T CARE, TAKE ME TO THEM OR BRING THEM" Arashi coughed out a gob of blood, making the man push him down.

"If you promise NOT to move, then I'll comply"

Arashi scowled, obviously not pleased, but that was enough for the man, who made a strange seal that made five copies spring up, all of which went out of the room.

Two minutes later the clones came back, dragging behind the girls in their futon.

Arashi didn't lose his scowl, but his eyes looked at his friends, worry evident to the gray-haired man, "Thank you"

The man scoffed, "whatever kid" the man stood up, "If you need anything just call"

Arashi nodded, "understood sir"

"Call me Ryu, everyone did"

* * *

**And so the survivor is revealed.**

**Now, if you want to know how they managed to hold off a fifty-year-old, my answer is Six-on-one.**

**If you have read my Tales of Uzumaki Naruto, then you know that for me the increase of skill per rank is exponential by two, and right now the kids are all to at least '1.5' in the scale, while Ryu is at '15'.**

**If you want my scale, then please refer to chapter thirty on that same story.**

**I'm going to put this story, along with 'Tales' on a two week hiatus, as inspiration hit me with a sledgehammer marked Mexican Mages, so I'm going to write it for the lenght of my easter break.**

**This story will be resumed by the 7th at the earliest, 10th by the latest.**

**With no more to say.**

**Sayonara**


	7. Explonation

**Explonation**

***Uzu no Kuni*The next day***

When Arashi woke again the next day, a few minutes after the girls did, he just sat on the bed, going over what had happened not a week ago.

Something had woken up in him that day: he could feel it lurking in the depths of his mind, just looking for a way out, to surface on his body.

He didn't know what it was, but he somehow knew that if it got out bad things would happen.

It scared him.

More scared of he was, though, of the strange man that had captured them and allowed them relative freedom, as the only thing he had said they couldn't do was leave the house.

A very literal thing, as Katsumi had tried to leave via window only to somehow find herself between the walls and an invisible barrier.

Around him the girls, with the exception of Ayane, who was also reflecting on the fight, chatted about where they could be, why had the man brought them there, and the most important one question, could they escape?

A logical person would ask why they would want to escape from a place where someone took care of them, gave them food, water, a bathroom and a bed, but they were not logical.

They had lost their innocence years ago, and they were ready to fight for their lives if the need arose.

The man, Ryu, Arashi reminded himself, entered the room and sat on the floor with one knee up and the other on the floor.

"What are you?" Ryu asked himself aloud, not expecting a response, while looking at Arashi and then at Katsumi.

"Only one of mine can hold the Fox, and you are" muttered Ryu while looking at Arashi.

"Only a girl can hold the Cat, but you don't" said the old man as he turned to Katsumi, "You could hold the Beetle, but you are not dark-skinned and you are not armored.

"Both your seals are in a level only my family can achieve, but you cannot hold the same, yet you do" his eyes focused on both avian-hybrid's navels befor looking at the kids as a whole, "what are your names?"

Not trusting the man, not one of them spoke until after Atsuko did.

Once the introductions were over, Ryu looked around for the questions that were obviously plaguing their minds.

"Where are we?" bluntly asked Akira.

"At my house, I brought you here after I knocked you out" answered Ryu.

"Why?" asked Ayane, "Why bring us if you could have killed us?"

"Simple answer: you survived" his answer shocked them, "It's a test I do to everyone that dares come here; when they enter the Daimyo palace I attack, if they survive long enough to get out I let them leave, but you are special.

"You two more than others, managed to get past Daimyo-sama's doors and hold me back, you escaped the palace and fought me and actually managed to injure me, even if it was only chip on my hand" he showed them the place where a new tooth was growing, "you are special, and I want to know why?"

"How are we special? How do we know you won't just use us?" asked Arashi, putting himself in front of the others.

Ryu chuckled, "You two" he pointed at him and then at Katsumi, "are junchuriki of the Kyuubi, you" this time he pointed to Akira, "managed to chip one of my bones, you" Ayane was pointed at, "caught off guard by launching a synchronized attack with tomato" Arashi twitched an Ryu pointed at Megumi, "you put yourself before your knocked-out friend that ran faster than anyone her age"

"You can't trust me, but I'll tell you this: the only thing I want is my family and country back, and that ain't happening" he looked down, remembering those happy days before the third war.

"Jinchuriki, what is that?" asked Arashi.

"Power of Human Sacrifice, load of shit if I've ever heard one," Ryu scowled, "they call the people with a Bijuu inside of them because someone else sacrifices their humanity in order to get a weapon, makes me wish Mito-sama hadn't rediscovered it"

"What makes you think we are…that?" asked Katsumi.

"Your navel" was Ryu's blunt answer, "seals that complex are only seen on Uzumakis, as few as we are now, and only on the few that could use the bloodline. I doubt you can, even with the chakra needed for it, since you didn't use it during your beat down"

"I got a question" said Atsuko, "Can you train us? We want to get Karasu-sensei back."

Everyone nodded in agreement, especially Arashi.

Ryu lifted his head to the ceiling, "Back from where?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"From Konoha, they captured him" said Megumi, "He took care of us"

"Konoha you say," Ryu grinned in a bloodthirsty way, it made them shiver, "I'll train you, if you promise me to kill the Sandaime"

The Pack looked at each other and frowned, "Who's that?" asked Akira.

"The current leader of Konoha, and the man that let this island go to hell" explained Ryu, "way back, before the Third Great Ninja World War.

"We Uzumaki were feared and respected because of our skill, knowledge and life-force, so feared that instead of people steering away from us, they attacked.

"Kumo and Kiri attacked during summer, but our sensors felt them coming days before the attack, so we sent a messenger to Konoha to ask for reinforcements, as powerful as we were, we were no match for two whole villages.

"The messenger got to Konoha, but the Sandaime decided to ignore him, in favor of keeping the two Uzumaki women in the village there, the bastard killed the messenger as soon as he finished the report and told Mito-sama and Kushina-sama that the island had been destroyed, only because he wanted power for his village.

"Somehow the KK managed to find their way into the secret entrances, since we didn't know they would arrive through there, even more of us feel swiftly, by the first hour of siege we had lost fifty men already.

"The second day was worse, we had to send the civilians to the underground facilities, eight of ten had been compromised and we lost even more families in that day.

"By the third day only a handful of squads remained, only five ninja and thirty Uzumaki civilians survived, the ninjas could no longer reproduce, the civilians fled as soon as siege ended and refused to marry outsiders or have children, so the only chance of the clan surviving was Kushina-sama, and she was in Konoha, shunned by most.

"I was one of the few remaining ninja, I was entrusted to make sure that no one that wasn't family could enter the island, and since you" he ponted at Arashi, "are Kushina-sama's son, I had to test you"

Arashi frowned, knowing that he had heard the name before, but not remembering well, "How do you know that?" he asked.

"Your eyes and seal, Kushina-sama was the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, but she died seven years ago, on October ten, after the Kyuubi got loose because of childbirth," answered Ryu, "you have the age, the eyes and the seal that mark you as her son, plus only an Uzumaki can hold the Fox, and you do, so you are her son"

"You will train us?" asked Ayane

"If you promise to kill the Sandaime, then yes" answered the old man.

The girls gathered around Arashi as they had been standing and got into a discussion.

Ryu gave them time, they would say yes, they looked like the kind of people that would use all their resources to stay alive, and so far, as they didn't have where to live, they would use him to get stronger, to rescue this 'Karasu'

In return, he would use them for justice and pass knowledge to the next generation of the people of Uzu, even if only one was a pure-blooded Uzumaki, and if he read the signs well, then the kids would grow even closer and rebuild the clan if that was what the boy wanted.

It was a fool's hope, but hopefully he would be easy to brain-wash into the Uzu philosophy.

It shouldn't be too hard; the kid already protected those girls with his life, now he only needed loyalty to the whirlpool and the fuinjutsu knowledge.

A throat being cleared brought Ryu out of his musings, so he raised an eyebrow in question.

"We will fight him if we see him, but no more than that" said Arashi.

The old man grinned, it wasn't so bad, "Then get rested, torture starts on Monday, enjoy your last two days of freedom"

Oh yes, the Uzumaki name would be feared again, the red-haired brat would make it so.

* * *

**This is mostly a transcition chapter, from the next one on it will be actuall story-line working and character developing.**

**The updates will go back to (hopefully) once a week, and I say hopefully because from now on I'll have a busy life: my school is doing an outing, I'm going to Chicago with my family on the 20 (no computer) to the 25, then I have to catch up on homework the next week, then projects, a musical presentation on May, my final reviwes, my finals.**

**So yeah, hope for the best, expect the worse, so no one gets dissapointed.**

**See you next week**

**Sayonara**


	8. Training

**Training.**

***Uzu no Kuni*Morning***

Arashi woke up as Ryu kicked the door open, all the girls doing the same, so they all glared at the old man.

Ryu growled, "Wake the hell up, today you start training," he said, "and as I told you, it'll be torture.

"You have ten minutes to dress in this" he threw a bundle of clothes to the floor, "and meet me outside the house for the daily mile run" Ryu left, smashing the door behind him.

"Cheerful man" Katsumi said.

"It doesn't matter," Arrashi said, "as long as he trains us enough to rescue Karasu-hakasei."

"Yeah," Ayane agreed, "Sensei needs us, and we can't go into a village untrained, this is lesser of two evils"

"Does he have to wake us this early," Akira, never the morning person, growled out, "it's like, six in the morning"

"But we'll get strong," Atsuko was bouncing on her place, "then we'll get to kick butt"

Arashi rolled his eyes, "get dressed everyone," he threw on one of the gray shirts, wincing at how it felt over his wings.

"Here" Megumi came close to him and carefully cut open holes where his wings were and did the same to Katsumi.

The jinchuriki both nodded, "thanks," the two said.

If everyone in the Hybrids had to think of the must uncomfortable sensation, both Katsumi and Arashi would agree that wet wings and trapped wings won.

Megumi would say cold, Atsuko and Ayane would say claustrophobia and Akira would answer that it was the heat.

Too bad that they would experience all of their answers in one day, every day, for years.

When they left the house, Ryu made them try and keep up with his run, with just their feet and legs, a run that lasted for nearly an hour.

After the run were the stretching exercises, as even though his training would leave them aching, didn't want them to pull a muscle.

The stretching was followed crunches, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, jumps, monkey-bars and even more strengthening exercises, which only Akira could complete without stop.

That didn't stop her from complaining.

Next came a really gross breakfast that would probably be alright in a prison, but was just rubbish in the free world.

One hour after breakfast they started on chakra exercises, unlocking, something they had done already, and control, something they all lacked.

This went on until lunch, which was, thankfully, meat and not something that looked out of a grinder.

The rest of the day was for taijutsu training, where Ryu just handed them scrolls and they had to find what suited them the most.

None got a proper form that day, nor in weeks to come.

This quickly became the routine that the Hybrids fell into, with the only change over their stay being the change to technique training over the chakra control exercises.

And so, the Hybrid Pack trained and got stronger.

They matured, they grew and they changed.

For the close to seven years they stayed in Uzu no Kuni, for the seven years they stayed in Ryu's home, they thought about their goals, and they learned about themselves.

Karasu had known only the heritage of only Arashi and Katsumi, though only because Orochimaru had told the scientist almost as soon as he had gotten involved in the project, and as far as they knew, they all were orphans from the Kyuubi attack.

The man did have his suspicions of where Ayane had come from, as there were only two peoplein Konoha with the same hair as hers: Gama-Sennin no Jiraya and Hatake Kakashi.

Other people, mainly in Lightning Country, had white hair, but a different skin color, so those two were the main suspects.

That probably meant that she came from a random civilian.

Still, the Pack couldn't be bothered about their parents; they were all the family they needed, and as soon as he was found, Karasu would join them and they would go to a country far from the constant warfare that was the Elemental continent.

Their knowledge and strength grew over the years; Arashi and Katsumi could make out parts of different seals with just a few minutes, Megumi became the official medic of the team, Akira learned to fully control her strength, Ayane and Atsuko found both their chakra affinities and developed a full taijutsu style around them with help from the scrolls left to them by Karasu and the scrolls from Ryu.

And so, after seven years it was time to leave, as Ryu had passed away during summer.

* * *

***Ryu's bedroom*seven years later***

"Brat" whispered the dying man, "I want you to remember our deal, you will kill the Sandaime Hokage"

"I told you, we're only fighting him if we meet him" Arashi had grown his hair out, making it spike over his neck with a few bangs over his face, and grown to reach 172cm, making him taller than most of the average teen his age.

"Kill him or I'll seal you" Ryu growled.

"You can't do that, not when you're death"

"It that a threat, brat"

Arashi's eyes narrowed, "It's a promise."

"You'll kill him, he betrayed my people, he made my parents die!" the man shouted with all his might.

"And I don't care, the only thing he did was make Karasu arrested, he didn't carry the order out, just gave it"

"He probably killed the bastard already!"

"If he died then I'll kill the one who killed him, not innocents"

Arashi left the room, ignoring the shouts of the man inside the room, for he had no more to say, and the old, dying man would only keep screaming.

"What did he say?" came Ayane's voice, making him sigh.

"Same thing as always" the years had done all of the hybrids good, Ayane now had her hair falling to her back and had put on muscles, making her lose the 'skin and bones' look she had before, she was still the tallest of the girls, standing only 5cm below Arashi with a nice-looking build.

"Meh, we always knew he was a nutter" said Akira from her spot, sprawled on the couch. The girl had hit a growth-spurt, reaching the 160cm, making her look less chubby and more athletic, as she looked like a fighter should.

"Akira, you shouldn't be so un-lady-like" Magumi said. She had changed the least, only growing a bit taller, to the lower end of the 150, and getting a build that made her look like a dedicated nurse, something she was, considering she had mastered the healing palm technique.

"She's saying the truth, he gave that impression from the moment we met him" Katsumi was perhaps the one that had changed the most, she, like Akira, had grown to the 160's, and not only had she an hour-glass figure, but she had lost most of her baby fat, making her face look really angular.

"And we leave tomorrow, so we won't see him anymore" Atsuko had kept the petite build, staying on the higher end of the 140 centimeters and only losing some of her baby-fat so she still looked like she was just entering puberty, instead of being 14 years-old.

"I know, and then we'll find Karasu-kyoju" Ayane said.

"Yeah," Atashi smiled, "but we need to rest, we leave early tomorrow."

The girls grumbled, as it was still dusk and night was still a few hours away, so they just sat there, listening to the shouts of a crazy man.

* * *

**I am honestly disapointed of this chapter, but I simply couldn't get around a block on training scenes, and I really wanted to get to the story in ernest, but it took me all week, this was the last update I wrote, to think just about what I wrote.  
**

**Worry not though, for next chapter will be longer and better than this one, hopefully.  
**

**I'll be in Chicago for a week, so it'll be two weeks for the next update.**

**Until next time.**

**Sayonara**


End file.
